Central residents still feel the pain of bus disruptions
Three buses were attacked when services resumed on Monday.
Disruptions to bus services have been ongoing since the start of the municipal workers’ strike in July.
Recently, the metro announced the return of Tshwane and A Re Yeng bus services on Monday, October 23.
On previous occasions, it had tried to reinstate the services but had to reverse the decision due to attacks on the buses.
The case was no different on Monday when three buses were attacked.
Tshwane mayor Cilliers Brink said the attacks were connected to the strike action that has lasted more than three months.
“SAPS and Tshwane metro police (TMPD) responded swiftly, arresting four suspects. This we applaud, but the city still needs a progress update on the other cases,” Brink said.
He said he wrote to Police Minister Bheki Cele and national police commissioner, Lt Gen Sehlahle Fannie Masemola, asking for updates on cases related to strike violence.
“In my letter, I expressed concern to the minister that this apparent lack of progress in the various investigations, especially in a case of attempted murder and where a senior union official’s vehicle was used to commit arson, may embolden these criminal elements to continue with their campaign of violence and destruction,” he said.
The metro previously announced the resumption of service on September 12 and 29, but this turned out to be a false start after buses were pelted with stones and drivers intimidated, allegedly by disgruntled Tshwane employees.
“Tshwane residents have endured the violent and criminal effects of this unlawful strike for months. It is important that we reassure our residents that we are committed to bringing the perpetrators of these crimes to book so that service delivery can continue unhindered,” said Brink.
The metro said it has opened nearly 50 cases, ranging from attempted murder to intimidation with the SAPS across Tshwane but remains concerned at the lack of progress in these investigations. Brink said there have been 24 arrests so far, 19 of which were for public violence in the first few days of the strike action.
“I would like to inform commuters and the wider public that A Re Yeng and Tshwane Bus Services (TBS) operations remain operational amid challenges. The city will continue to forge ahead with the operations in line with the required and necessary support from the security cluster,” MMC for roads and transport Ald Katlego Mathebe said.
The service will run during peak hours: 06:00 to 09:00 and 14:00 to 20:00 on the following A Re Yeng routes:
T1: Wonderboom – Menlyn
C2: Wonderboom – Gezina – Sunnyside
F4: Sunnyside – Muckleneuk – Groenkloof
F10: Church Square – Pretoria Station
F11: Loftus – Hatfield
Rekord caught up with some commuters to get their take on the matter and how the disruptions have affected them personally.
“It affected me a lot financially because I have had to use taxis and those are expensive,” said Destiny Gertse.
Gertse said even though the bus service has resumed, she remains unsure about using it.
“I think I’ll give it some time because I’m still a little scared. They’ve been all sorts of attacks so I’ll use taxis for a while longer before I’m comfortable with using buses again.
Another resident who did not want to be identified takes the bus from Arcadia to Persequor Park, said the strike has affected her financially as well.
“The bus strike has inconvenienced me financially in the past three months. I’d usually pay R12 per trip on the bus. I now pay R25, double what I used to pay,” the commuter said.
“I would like to see the buses back, fully operational and in a safe manner. Tshwane announced yesterday the service will partially operate with a police escort, meaning it’s still not safe to use buses.”
Montana resident Thokozani Matshiga said the strike has left her and many fellow commuters at the mercy of taxi drivers to get to town.
“I stay in Montana, so we have to get the first bus in the morning at 06:00 – the next one is at 09:00,” Matshiga said.
“Buses are user-friendly, comfortable and safe, so obviously the commuters need them back.”
Matshiga suggested that not only should the service return, but that it should be regular to avoid overcrowding.
“Instead of having one bus every two hours, we need one every 30 minutes. We just want to have our buses back. We also need more drivers, sometimes when the bus driver is on leave, the bus doesn’t come and we are informed it’s because the driver is on leave and this can be for a whole week.”
Matshiga however said when the buses are fully operational, the service was exceptional.
Commuter Laiza Maleka said not having access to buses has raised her transport costs by more than R1 000.
“With the bus, R400 lasts the entire month, but with a taxi, I’m now paying more than R1 000. It’s so bad because the bus used to drop me off near work, yet it was cheaper.” Maleka said.
She said she was also not refunded for the trips she had not used when the strike started.
“Just imagine, you need money for taxi fare and there’s a Tshwane bus voucher that you can’t access,” she said.
Residents with any information related to the bus attacks are urged to contact their local authorities.
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